murder Hemis?

[Cooter]

http://bangshift.com/blog/murderers-how-three-dual-quad-hemis-have-killed-hundreds-of-cars-over-the-last-40-years-fact.html

[myk]

Interesting.  Reminds me of the big-block Chevy/GM motors that help to start the SR-71, and the GTO's, G8 GT's and Camaro SS's that act as chase cars for Air Force planes; cars doing things outside of what their creators would have envisioned...

[Baldwinvette77]

Hmmmmmm  i want to see v8 engines used to power a car crusher next 

[Ghoste]

I thought it was a 455 Buick on the SR71 start cart? (not that it matters)

[Baldwinvette77]

I thought it was a 455 Buick on the SR71 start cart? (not that it matters)

i was told it was a 455 olds....  ..... Ah screw it, since noone knows, im just going to say they used Boss 429's PROVE ME WRONG 

[Ghoste]

Yeah, it doesn't matter does it?  It was big and had torque.

[SAC]

My two cents: it was a Buick Nailhead 401.  I read it in Musclecar Review back in the 90s!

[myk]

I thought it was a 455 Buick on the SR71 start cart? (not that it matters)

I've heard it was either a big Buick or Chevy so that's why I cheated and listed big block GM/Chevy in my post...

[Baldwinvette77]

Nailhead it is.... Mmmm Hijacked threads 

[Ghoste]

I wonder if they ever stuck a Hemi on a start cart?

[ws23rt]

I like this stuff.  The hemi is what first grabbed my attention as a 13 yr old soon to be driver. 

Isn't there an old truism that's something like---Hemis don't kill cars- people kill cars 

[Baldwinvette77]

I like this stuff.  The hemi is what first grabbed my attention as a 13 yr old soon to be driver. 

Isn't there an old truism that's something like---Hemis don't kill cars- people kill cars 

Guns don't kill people... Bullets do 

[Ghoste]

I grew up in a fruit and vegetable growing area and at one time they used the old style industrial Hemis to run irrigation pumps.  I think they also had some of those hooked up to air raid sirens at one time too.

[myk]

Mega-horsepower air raid siren; NICE...

[ws23rt]

I grew up in a fruit and vegetable growing area and at one time they used the old style industrial Hemis to run irrigation pumps.  I think they also had some of those hooked up to air raid sirens at one time too.

I remember that too   I guess they were used for many things in the early to late 50s

[Mopar440+6]

Don Garlits firing up his 1952 331 Hemi powered air raid siren

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyuH4NP1E2c

[Bob T]

I grew up in a fruit and vegetable growing area and at one time they used the old style industrial Hemis to run irrigation pumps.  I think they also had some of those hooked up to air raid sirens at one time too.

Very true. A couple of local hotrodders were on a tin ( car ) hunt in and around South America and Argentina about 5 years ago. While out in the remote countryside they found a whole network of water pumping stations connected by phone lines which would start and run Hemis to pump water from sluice to sluice, uphill and across the plains.
Nothing had run for years apparently and they got hold of some guy associated with the system and did a deal on 12 or 15 Hemi's and brought them back here to rebuild for other hotrodders so I heard.

[hatersaurusrex]

Why would anyone use a Hemi over a 440 for industrial applications, other than the nominal horsepower gain?   

[Bob T]

Why would anyone use a Hemi over a 440 for industrial applications, other than the nominal horsepower gain?   

Cause it was before the 440 was in production, best guess for the water pumping gig was mid 60's

[Ghoste]

And around here, those 354's were sold specifically as industrial engines to my knowledge. 

[Mike DC]

  
It is surprising that relatively advanced engines like Hemis would have been used for such mundane industrial purposes.  Those usages don't really call for their strengths.  

A huge-displacement low-RPM engine like a truck diesel would give much more power, and do it much cheaper.  We just don't put them into cars because we want a lightweight compact engine that can instantly adjust between a very wide range of power levels/fuel consumptions.  

[Ghoste]

Eventually that was what they went to but before that there was a period between the Hemi's and the diesels where they were using smallblock V8's around here.

[Mopar440+6]

It is surprising that relatively advanced engines like Hemis would have been used for such mundane industrial purposes.  Those usages don't really call for their strengths. 

A huge-displacement low-RPM engine like a truck diesel would give much more power, and do it much cheaper.  We just don't put them into cars because we want a lightweight compact engine that can instantly adjust between a very wide range of power levels/fuel consumptions.

You may have answered your own question. For a portable powerplant, a compact, lightweight unit with nearly instant throttle response (think generator switching on and off) may have been the most desirable option.

Also it seems that most of the industrial hemi's are early 3xx cu.in. models...

[dkn1997]

ive heard of guys plucking flathead ford engines off the roofs of old buildings, seems they used them to power generators for large buildings way back when.  i have personally seen a flathead ford powered generator in the utility room in the home of a wealthy customer at my job.  had a period correct radiator hooked up to it.  this was @11 years ago.  although i didnt hear it run, it had a fresh set of wires and fuel filter on it.   automotive engines used for these non automotive purposes probably make excellent donors.  def not flogged and i suspect most barely ever ran at all